Attachment for internal-combustion engines



June- 24, 1924. 1.498,?42

M. MACKIE ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 19, 1922 MItEhEH Ma ch 2 P tented J n 924 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACK IE. OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 MITCHELL MACKIE COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIH, A CORPQRATIO'N 0T3 VTISCONSIN.

ATTAGHM'E-NT FOR INTEEEENAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

T 0 all whom it; may concern:

Be it known that I, MITCHELL MACKIE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Waukesha, in the county of Waukesha and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are apart of thisspecification.

This invention relates to a new and useful attachment for an internal combustion engine, and is more especially designed for use with engines of that type employed as the automotive power for vehicles.

In the present type of automoti e vehicles.v extreme difliculty is experienced in starting the engine and various devices have been designed for alleviating this trouble all of which aremore or less objectionable. The common method of attempting to facilitate the starting of an internal combustion engine is by priming, i. e. by supplying a raw charge of fuel direct to the engine cylinders, and this manner of attempting to start an internal combustion engine often-times merely floods or dampens the spark and the heavier, and major portion of the particles of the fuel leak past the pistons into the crankcase resulting in a dilution of the lubricating oil and. a consequent loss in engine efliciency.

v The desirable manner of priming internal combustion engines is to first subject the priming charge to heat suificient to vaporize the same or at least break down the heavier particles so that they become thoroughly atomized prior to entry into the cylinders and thus spark dampening and crank case dilution is reduced to a minimum.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a device for subjecting the priming charge to heatto thus prevent dampening or flooding of the spark and reduce crank case dilution to a minimum.

Several, devices have been devised and placed on the market seeking to provide a means. for heating the priming or initial charge of fuel for an internal combustion engine all of which are objectionable in that they consume a considerable amount of. energy and, oftentimes, in the event the bat: ter y is, low, hinder more than assist, the

Application filed May 19, 1922. Serial No. 562,194.

starting of the engine by reducing the intensity of the spark due to battery over-load by reason of the starter, priming charge, heating device and ignition drawing upon the battery at the same time. 7

Having this in mind, it is another object of my invention to provide means for heating the initial or priming charge of an in ternal combustion engine, which is so designed and constructed as to permit disconnecting of the heating means from the battery when the starter is being a tuated to thus prevent an over-load on the battery and the consequent reduction in the intensity of the spark and efliciency of the starter.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for heating an initial or priming charge for internal combustion engines wherein the fuel supply for the initial charge is automatically opened by operation of the heating element and remains closed when the heating element is inactive. Another objection to the priming devices on the market is that, in the event the current in line should fall for any reason, the fuel valve is opened when it is attempted to actuate the priming device, as a result of which the raw priming charge is introduced into the engine and the cylinders flooded.

It is. therefore, further object of this invention to provide a device of the character described which is so designed and constructed that the priming or initial charg supply valve remains closed in the event the heating element should not properly operate when its circuit is closed to thus prevent flooding of the engine with the priming charge.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device of the character de scribed having a tube wound around by a heating coil to thus produce a heating or expansion chamber, one end of which is engageable with a source of fuel supply and the other end with the engine cylinders, the fuel supply having a plug of iron projected into the expansion chamber from which extends an actuating rod or pin adapted to be engaged by an armature within the xpansion chamber which is attracted to the plug upon energization of the heating coil to engage the pin and connect the fuel supply with the heating chamber, saidv plug being preferably constructed of soft iron whereby the same becomes a magnet upon energization of the heating coil and ass sts the heating coil inholding the armature in position opening the valve as lO-"Q as the coil is closed. 7

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel conembodying my invention, partsthereof be- 7 ing broken away'and in section to illustrate structural details.

My improved device is capable of use with any design of automotive engine and, in the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a pipe line which connects with a fuel supply such as the-usual vacuiun fuel supply pipe line (not shown) and't-he numeral 6 designates the intake manifold of the engine to which my device is applied.

The line 5 is connected to one end of an elbow 7 by a suitable union 8, the other end of the L being connected with the outer end 9 of a plug 10. The plug is centrally bored, treat 11, and its end 9 is counterbored, as at 12, to provide, at the connection between bore 11 and counterfbore 12, a seat 13 for a valve member 14 which is yield- -ably urged to engagement with its seat by a spring:15. The intermediate portion of the plug is externally threaded, as at 16, forsecurementin one end of a tube or cylinde: 17, the other end of which is connected withthe 'intake manifold by a nipple 18. V The portion 19 of plug 10, inwardly of threaded part 16, is reduced to a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of cylinder 17 to provide a space 20 thereabout, for the purpose hereinafter described. Extended through bore 11 with its outer end abutting valve 14and its inner end project ing slightly beyond the inner end of plug 10 when the valve is in closed position, is a rod'21, the diameter of which is less than that of bore 11 to permit the discharge thereabout of fuel when the valve is open. 7

The exterior of cylinder 17 is wrapped or insulated with mica or other suitable insulating material 22and has a coil 23 wound therearound which provides a heating element, the space about the coil being enclosed by a guard or casing 24'confined between flanges and 26 secured to the opposite ends of the cylinder. The interior of the guard is preferably covered with a layer of asbestos or other heat insulating material 27 in order to conserve the heat from' coil 23 and concentrate the same upon the cylinder to heat the interior thereof which provides a heating or expansion chamber. In the drawing, coil 23 is illustrated as ar ranged for a one wire circuit with one end 28 electrically connected with'cylinder 17'- and its other end 29 passed through an insulated opening in flange 25 and connected with the 'wire of the circuit (notshown).

When the circuit in which. the'coil is included is closed coil 23 is energized and becomes a solenoid moving an armature 30, within the chamber 'to the left withreference to the drawing and forcing rod 11 inwardly to open valve 14 and the fuel supply. As the heat in coil 23 increases the current drops and consequently the solenoid formed the heating coil weakens and to eliminate the possibility of spring 15 overcoming the force of the solenoid to close valve 14, plug 10i is constructed of soft iron.v With plug 10 formed'of soft iron, the end 19 thereof becomes. a fixed magnet when the'coil 23 is energized. and consequently armature 30 is held in posi tion, opening valve 14, by the magnetic force of the plug as well as that of the solenoid. I

To prevent the armaturefrom closing the 7 end of bore 11 when-it is opening valve 14, 7

one or more slots 31 are formed in the end thereof adjacent the plug. The outside diameter of the armature is less than the diameter of the interior of tube17 and is substantially the same as that of plug end r 19. As the fuel flows into the expansion chamber and is subjected to the-gheat from 001123, it expands andentersthe interior of manifold 6 in a substantially vapor state m 1 After the circuit including the heating element or coil 23 has been broken, spring 15 closes valve 14 and'thus disconnects the initial or priming charge supply the fuel in the expansion chamber being still subjected to the heat stored up in tube 5 and the other parts of the device.

Thus it will be apparent thatthe heating V i element 23 may be connected wit-h the stor-' age batteryor other source of supply and' then, after a short period of time, be disconnected to permit the use of the engine starter and prevent too severe a drain'on the battery, relying upon stored up heat 7 to vaporize the charge within'the expansion chamber. As the engine'is turned over, tl1e suction created in the manifold draws the initial. or priming chargefrom the interior of the expansion chamber'and to insure the egress of all the fuel in the expansion chamber and that within bore 11 therefrom into the cylinders, an air bleeder 32 is positioned inwardly of valve 14, bleeder 32 being normally closed by a suitable check valve 33.

To prevent discharge of fuel into the cylinders through tube 5 at a rate greater than that which the heating element can properly vaporize, a plate 34 is inserted in the end of pipe 5 which is provided with an opening 35 equal to or less than the cross sectional area of bore 11 minus the diameter of rod 21. As for example, plate 34 presents the discharging of fuel past valve 14 in the proportion of a quarter of an inch pipe, should that be the size of pipe 5.

In the starting operation of an engine equipped with my device, the usual throttle valve in the carbureter is closed, the circuit including coil 23 is closed and valve 14 immediately opened as before described. Should the current in the coil be insufficient to open valve 14 or if the circuit be broken, it will be at once apparent by the absence of a decided click which. is audible when armature 30 strikes against the end plug 10. After coil 23 has stored sutficient heat and has held armature 30 in. position, opening valve 14, a period suflicient to fill the expansion chamber, the circuit is broken and the engine turned over by its starter, with the throttle valve not shown) closed, the throttle valve being opened as soon as the engine commences firing.

The amount of fuel discharged into the expansion chamber may be regulated by either the size of the opening 35 in plate 34 or else by the length of pin 31, as will be readily apparent.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A devicebf the character described, comprising a chamber, a fluid supply connectible with the chamber, means for heating the chamber, and means operable by the heating means to connect the fluid supply with the chamber.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a chamber, a fluid supply connectible with the chamber, means for heating the chamber, and means operable by the heating means to connect the fluid supply with the chamber, said last mentioned means being rendered inoperative when the heating means is inactive.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a chamber, a fluid supply connectible with the chamber, means for heating the chamber, means operable by the heating means to connect the fluid supply with the chamber, and means regulating the rate of discharge from the fluid supply to the chamber.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a tube, a heating coil wound about the tube, a fluid supply connectible with the interior of the tube, and an armature mounted within the tube interior and operable upon energization of the heating coil to connect the fluid supply with the tube.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a tube, a heating coil wound about the tube, a fluid supply nozzle projected into the tube atone end, a valve member controlling the discharge of fluid into the tube from the supply nozzle, and an armature within the tube and movable toward the nozzle upon energization of the coil to open the valve member.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a tube, a heating coil wound about the tube, a fluid supply nozzle projected into the tube at one end, a valve member controlling the discharge of fluid into the tube from the supply nozzle, and an armature within the tube, the heating coil becoming a solenoid upon energization to draw the armature toward the nozzle and open the valve member.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a tube, a heating coil wound about the tube, a fluid supply nozzle projected into the tube at one end, a valve member controlling the discharge of fluid into the tube from the supply nozzle and an armature within the tube, the heating coil becoming a solenoid upon energization to draw the armature toward the nozzle and open the valve member, the supply nozzle being constructed of soft iron and becoming a fixed magnet upon energization of the heating coil to assist the solenoid in holding the armature in valve opening position.

MITCHELL MACKIE. 

